Andrew Sullivan's Blog, page 2557

Face Of The Day

A child attends Eid al-Fitr prayers at one of Manhattan's main mosques
on September 10, 2010, in New York. Eid al-Fitr marks the day when
Muslims worldwide celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. By Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images.

Ramadan - Eid ul-Fitr - Fasting - New York - Muslim

The Imaginary Cabal

Dave Roberts goes after global warming skeptics:

Consider what the Limbaugh/Morano crowd is saying about climate: notonly that that the world's scientists and scientific institutions aresystematically wrong, but that they are purposefullyperpetrating a deception. Virtually all the world's governments,scientific academies, and media are either in on it or duped by it. Theonly ones who have pierced the veil and seen the truth are Americanmovement conservatives, the ones who found death panels...

Quote For The Day VI

"The whole tenor of this news conference illustrates Obama's central and continuing dilemma. He wants to be post-partisan, or to appear to be post-partisan, but is forced by events to sound partisan. Constant tension," - Ed Luce, on Gideon Rachman's blog, via Clive.
















Gideon Rachman - President - Barack Obama - United States - Government

Worst Stump Speech Ever? Ctd

A reader writes:

Surely I'm not the first person to compare that speech to this classic Dwight Shrute moment.

Multimedia - Development Frameworks - Flash - Ponytail - Lollapalooza

The Untamed Prince: Dissents

A reader writes:

I may be Pollyanna here, but I wonder if Obama is again playing the
game.  There is a legitimate national security argument for not investigating Cheney's war crimes while we have troops in combat in the Middle East.  If Pastor Jones can inflame Muslim public opinion and endanger our soldiers, think what a detailed probe of Cheney's torture regime might do -- not to mention the political blowback.  And there's the terrible problem of our intelligence operatives who were...

"Celebutards" Ctd

A reader writes:

Really? Please realize that "retard" is a slur, which has somehow morphed into common usage much the same way "fag" was used years ago. Yet the pain it causes is real, to those who are intellectually disabled, as well as to their friends and families.

Another writes:

"Celebutard" is not really a neologism; it's been in popular use for at least three years (judging by its entry in the Urban Dictionary), and is actually a conflation of "celebrity", "debutante", and "retard" (or...

The Debt And Denial

A reader writes:

You wrote:

Is this how wounded the American giant is? Is this how incapable it is of reforming itself?

Well, you know...

"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Ben Franklin

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising...

The Real Terry Jones, Ctd

A reader writes:

Is Python's Terry Jones even in that clip?  He's not prominent.  Try this.

My mood instantly brightened. Didn't yours?

Terry Jones - Languages - United States - Mass media - Feisal Abdul Rauf

Waiting Until November?

Jason Mazzone wonders if the Obama administration will appeal the DADT ruling:

The November elections are 53 days away.Under Rule 4 of the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, thegovernment has 60 days after the entry of final judgment to file anotice of appeal. The Administration can wait until after the electionsto decide whether or not to appeal. It can take the position now thatgovernment lawyers are reviewing options. The Administration can thensee where things stand after the November...

Hollowed Ground

Weigel examines how Republicans have carved out the meaning of 9/11 for themselves:

Between the Palin/Beck event in Alaska, the launch of a new war-on-terror documentary (America At Risk: The War With No Name) produced by Newt Gingrich in Washington, a rally against the Park51 Community Center in New York City, and the made-for-cable idiocy in Florida, there is something new about the way the 9/11 anniversary is being played in 2010. ... [Rick Lazio's:] commercial on the topicis as subtle as a...